From: piaba piabinha at yahoo.com> on 2003.07.24 at 18:56:37(10435)> As I mentioned in a previous post to Petra, to me
> there is no surprise that a native American
> fruit-eating bird would take advantage of the
> availability and eat some attractivly colored and
> tasty fruit!

The large starchy seeds of Typhonodorum are popular as a steamed snack, in
the manner of chestnut, durian and jak-fruit seeds; the seeds of Eminium are
ground as a crude flour in rural Syria in times of need; the fruity-smelling
& tasting berries of Colocasia esculenta are popular with children in rural
Bangladesh, as too are the ripe fruiting spadices of Rhaphidophora
decursiva; I've nibbled on over 70 species of ripe (after the stylar plates
have been shed to reveal the pulp cavity and, importantly, have taken with
them the long glassy needle-like crystals that protect the unripe fruits)
Asian monsteroid fruit and found all to be fruity or malty to taste; an Iban
field guide I worked with in Brunei was very fond of the fruity smelling &
tasting berries of Schismatoglottis and Homalomena - although I found the
irritating effect on my soft palate and throat too much to try more then a
couple;

On the last point, very frequently the ripe fruits are 'protected' by
various irritant crystals and/or chemicals and in Europe red and
orange-berried Arum and Dracunculus are both irritant and poisonous with
there being several deaths recorded resulting from children ingesting Arum
maculatum and A. italicum berries. So, remember that attractive colour,
smell & taste doesn't always man that the fruit are safe to ingest - I'd
recommend that you proceed carefully!

>On the last point, very frequently the ripe fruits are 'protected' by
>various irritant crystals and/or chemicals and in Europe red and
>orange-berried Arum and Dracunculus are both irritant and poisonous with
>there being several deaths recorded resulting from children ingesting Arum
>maculatum and A. italicum berries. So, remember that attractive colour,
>smell & taste doesn't always man that the fruit are safe to ingest - I'd
>recommend that you proceed carefully!
>
Do those Arum spp. have attractive tate, or only smell and colour? Small children (how small were they?) are known to ingest things experimentally, rather than because they taste good.

On a similar note, birds' digestion is very different from ours, and it may be that certain fruits are designed to attract birds, while at the same time protect against mammals. The "hot" flavor of chile peppers is an example of this -- birds can eat chiles without the irritation experienced by mammals, because their mouths are drier. Small fruits like berries are more likely to be bird-dispered, while larger fruits like apples and oranges are more likely to be mammal-dispersed.

From: "Peter C Boyce" levieux.jardin at wanadoo.fr> on 2003.07.25 at 23:27:04(10441)Arum fruits have a sweet, slightly astringent flavour that sonn gives way to
intense burning of the soft parts of the mouth and the throat.

I don't have precise details of the gaes of the children reported to have
died after ingensting Arum fruits, although for those I have such data ages
ranged from 3 to 9 years.

> "Peter C Boyce" wrote:
>
> >On the last point, very frequently the ripe fruits are 'protected' by
> >various irritant crystals and/or chemicals and in Europe red and
> >orange-berried Arum and Dracunculus are both irritant and poisonous with
> >there being several deaths recorded resulting from children ingesting
Arum
> >maculatum and A. italicum berries. So, remember that attractive colour,
> >smell & taste doesn't always man that the fruit are safe to ingest - I'd
> >recommend that you proceed carefully!
> >
> Do those Arum spp. have attractive tate, or only smell and colour? Small
children (how small were they?) are known to ingest things experimentally,
rather than because they taste good.
>
> On a similar note, birds' digestion is very different from ours, and it
may be that certain fruits are designed to attract birds, while at the same
time protect against mammals. The "hot" flavor of chile peppers is an
example of this -- birds can eat chiles without the irritation experienced
by mammals, because their mouths are drier. Small fruits like berries are
more likely to be bird-dispered, while larger fruits like apples and oranges
are more likely to be mammal-dispersed.
>
> Jason Hernandez
> Naturalist-at-Large

To the list of 'edible' aroid fruits, add Taccarum, Synandrospadix and Dracontium soconuscum (all S. American, all sweet and pleasant tasting, though not much 'size/volume' to them), and of all things Dieffenbachia sp., as Dr. Croat has reported that the fruits of this, perhaps THE most 'dangerous' aroid (I have a fatality recorded), are also sweet and pleasant tasting!
We sampled the ripe fruit on Philodendron soli. in Fr. Guyana, they too were very sweet-tasting and pleasant.
I do NOT recommend that ANYONE experiment of tasting aroid fruit! NOT a safe hobby!!!! Recently I was demonstrating the wonderful taste of my ripe Monstera fruit in my front yard to my Guatemalan friend, he must have bitten a TINY bit of the covering caps, and he was in pain!
I don`t know if Peter mentioned it, but the fruit/seeds of the S. American giant aquatic aroid Montrichardia are reportedly roasted and eaten by natives per Deni Bown in her WONDERFUL book on Aroids.
Jason, an interesting note on a birds ability to consume hot chile peppers, as a boy our parrot LOVED to eat the hottest peppers, our scotch bonnets, but afterward would demonstrate one of the commoner symptoms of the eating of these hot fruit, which as boys we often demonstrated after eating slices of green mangos dipped in chile-laden salt, he/she would 'pant', holding his beak/mouth open, tongue thrust outward and 'kicking', for a long period after eating. I believe that the 'heat' of these fruit affected him! The smaller 'bird peppers' were eagerly consumed off the bush by palm tanagers and the giant crested fly-catchers, but were swallowed whole due to their smaller size.

> "Peter C Boyce" wrote:
>
> >On the last point, very frequently the ripe fruits are 'protected' by
> >various irritant crystals and/or chemicals and in Europe red and
> >orange-berried Arum and Dracunculus are both irritant and poisonous with
> >there being several deaths recorded resulting from children ingesting
Arum
> >maculatum and A. italicum berries. So, remember that attractive colour,
> >smell & taste doesn't always man that the fruit are safe to ingest - I'd
> >recommend that you proceed carefully!
> >
> Do those Arum spp. have attractive tate, or only smell and colour? Small
children (how small were they?) are known to ingest things experimentally,
rather than because they taste good.
>
> On a similar note, birds' digestion is very different from ours, and it
may be that certain fruits are designed to attract birds, while at the same
time protect against mammals. The "hot" flavor of chile peppers is an
example of this -- birds can eat chiles without the irritation experienced
by mammals, because their mouths are drier. Small fruits like berries are
more likely to be bird-dispered, while larger fruits like apples and oranges
are more likely to be mammal-dispersed.
>
> Jason Hernandez
> Naturalist-at-Large

Thanks for reminding me about Montrichardia seeds. I'd forgotten that Deni's
fantastic book mentions them among many other edible aroids - if folks want
to know about edibility in 'our' family, then PLEASE check out both editions
Deni's book, they're a treasure trove - I ate them (Montrichardia seed, not
Deni's books) while in a small village upstream from Manaus and can report
that they are good, with a rich buttery texture similar to fresh Brazil nut
(not months old packaged ones in supermarkets) or Macadamia (ditto).

Let me also echo Julius' caveat about not trying aroid fruits (or any others
for that matter) unless you ABSOLUTELY know they're safe.

To the list of 'edible' aroid fruits, add Taccarum, Synandrospadix and
Dracontium soconuscum (all S. American, all sweet and pleasant tasting,
though not much 'size/volume' to them), and of all things Dieffenbachia sp.,
as Dr. Croat has reported that the fruits of this, perhaps THE most
'dangerous' aroid (I have a fatality recorded), are also sweet and pleasant
tasting!
We sampled the ripe fruit on Philodendron soli. in Fr. Guyana, they too
were very sweet-tasting and pleasant.
I do NOT recommend that ANYONE experiment of tasting aroid fruit! NOT a
safe hobby!!!! Recently I was demonstrating the wonderful taste of my ripe
Monstera fruit in my front yard to my Guatemalan friend, he must have bitten
a TINY bit of the covering caps, and he was in pain!
I don`t know if Peter mentioned it, but the fruit/seeds of the S. American
giant aquatic aroid Montrichardia are reportedly roasted and eaten by
natives per Deni Bown in her WONDERFUL book on Aroids.
Jason, an interesting note on a birds ability to consume hot chile
peppers, as a boy our parrot LOVED to eat the hottest peppers, our scotch
bonnets, but afterward would demonstrate one of the commoner symptoms of the
eating of these hot fruit, which as boys we often demonstrated after eating
slices of green mangos dipped in chile-laden salt, he/she would 'pant',
holding his beak/mouth open, tongue thrust outward and 'kicking', for a long
period after eating. I believe that the 'heat' of these fruit affected
him! The smaller 'bird peppers' were eagerly consumed off the bush by palm
tanagers and the giant crested fly-catchers, but were swallowed whole due to
their smaller size.

Good Growing,

Julius Boos
WPB,
Florida

>>Arum fruits have a sweet, slightly astringent flavour that soon gives
way to
intense burning of the soft parts of the mouth and the throat.

I don't have precise details of the ages of the children reported to have
died after ingensting Arum fruits, although for those I have such data
ages
ranged from 3 to 9 years.

> "Peter C Boyce" wrote:
>
> >On the last point, very frequently the ripe fruits are 'protected' by
> >various irritant crystals and/or chemicals and in Europe red and
> >orange-berried Arum and Dracunculus are both irritant and poisonous
with
> >there being several deaths recorded resulting from children ingesting
Arum
> >maculatum and A. italicum berries. So, remember that attractive colour,
> >smell & taste doesn't always man that the fruit are safe to ingest -
I'd
> >recommend that you proceed carefully!
> >
> Do those Arum spp. have attractive tate, or only smell and colour?
Small
children (how small were they?) are known to ingest things experimentally,
rather than because they taste good.
>
> On a similar note, birds' digestion is very different from ours, and it
may be that certain fruits are designed to attract birds, while at the
same
time protect against mammals. The "hot" flavor of chile peppers is an
example of this -- birds can eat chiles without the irritation experienced
by mammals, because their mouths are drier. Small fruits like berries are
more likely to be bird-dispered, while larger fruits like apples and
oranges
are more likely to be mammal-dispersed.
>
> Jason Hernandez
> Naturalist-at-Large

From: "Dany Hervelle" bs246466 at skynet.be> on 2003.07.27 at 21:32:03(10444)I have heard that many of anthurium fruits are edible.What about it?Is for
instance the fruits of a scandens and bakerii edible?
Regards to all